


This Dream Brought to Life

by MarieBoheme



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Fluff, Post-Canon, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 10:49:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24848560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarieBoheme/pseuds/MarieBoheme
Summary: After all he'd done, was he really deserving of this happy ending? Upon Byleth's return to Fhirdiad after months away, Dimitri can't help but worry about the future.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 20
Kudos: 160





	This Dream Brought to Life

**Author's Note:**

> Have some Dadmitri (and Mama Byleth) for Father's Day because I think a lot about how great these two would be as parents.

It was always evident in Castle Fhirdiad whenever the Queen’s return from Garreg Mach Monastery was imminent. Not because of the way the staff bristled to and fro as they prepared for her arrival and that of her traveling party. And not because of the sudden influx of visitors that appeared, made up of both commoners who wished to catch a glimpse of the infamous former Ashen Demon turned Archbishop, as well as former allies who were passing through to socialize or to seek her advice. 

Rather, it was the noticeable changes in the King’s demeanor that signaled that Queen Byleth was on her way to the capital. A surge in energy and good humor usually meant that he’d just been informed of her departure from the monastery, while restlessness and impatience appeared as the days dragged on, his mood instantly turning round as soon as he set eyes on her party making their way through the castle gates. For the castle’s inhabitants, some of which had known the King since he was a child, it was amusing and endearing how one of the most powerful figures in the continent was still completely enamored with his wife even after nearly two years of marriage.

However, any anxiety that they had seen the King display when apart from his wife paled in comparison to their current separation. When the day of the Queen’s expected arrival came and went, he paced his study anxiously, forgetting to eat and drink for nearly two days before one of his advisors convinced him to venture to the dining hall. When the delay reached four days, he spent an entire evening taking out his frustration in the training yard, breaking half a dozen lances before he was forced to retreat to his private chambers at the behest of the exasperated army store-keeper. 

It was thus with a unanimous sigh of relief that the entirety of the castle welcomed the sound of horns signaling that the Queen’s party had finally entered the city, so she could soon to be reunited with her distressed husband. 

“You’re certain there was no sign of any injuries?”

If it were anyone but Dedue standing at his side as they waited for Byleth and her travel companions to arrive at the castle’s entrance, they would have been sure to make their frustration known at his relentless barrage of questions. But his faithful friend was happy to humor him. “Yes, Your Majesty. The guards at the city gate would have sent the signal if there were any wounds that needed treating.”

Dimitri was unconvinced, but he did not press further. After all, it had never taken Byleth this long to travel between the capital and the monastery, which meant that something must have gone wrong during the journey. Despite the anxiety he was feeling, he did his best to hide his restlessness, the only sign of his agitation being the frantic tapping of his hand against his side. After all, he needed to maintain the appearance of a poised and stoic King when in view of the city’s inhabitants, many of which were clustered nearby as they awaited the Queen’s arrival. Her notoriety as an experienced warrior and her acts of altruism with the local populace meant that Byleth easily drew a crowd. 

Usually, he would be able to get a glimpse of his wife as soon as she and her group crossed the castle threshold, as she preferred to lead the party herself. He’d grown accustomed to seeing her gallop into view on horseback, her hair billowing behind her, and a bright smile on her features as they locked eyes for the first time in months. 

Circumstances this time were different, however. Instead of riding in on horseback, Byleth was more being _escorted_ by royal carriage. An arrangement that he had begged her for weeks to consider, thankfully backed up by Seteth and Flayn on their end at the monastery. Although stubborn, she had begrudgingly agreed, to his great relief. 

As soon as the carriage came into view, Dimitri stood up straighter, holding his breath as he waited for one of the attendants to open the door. The muscles in his body instantly relaxed as a familiar figure emerged, aggressively rejecting the hand of the page who attempted to help her out of the small enclosure. He heard Dedue chuckle softly from beside him. 

Byleth wasted no time in dismissing her guards, thanking them for their hard work before making her way towards where the King and his advisors stood waiting. As she approached, Dimitri couldn’t help but stare in awe. Even though the signs of a long journey were evident, she looked radiant, the afternoon sun framing her figure from behind and giving the impression that she was glowing. While he’d always known his wife to be beautiful, she’d never been as stunning to him as she appeared at that moment. 

As she came nearer, he couldn’t stop his gaze from straying to her stomach, which had grown considerably since he’d last seen her. Although she’d already been with child when she’d left Fhirdiad, neither of them had known it at the time. Byleth had been just a couple of weeks into her stay at the monastery when she’d found out, and had unfortunately only been able to inform him of the fact through a messenger. After getting over the shock and gleefully spreading the news to his closest allies within the castle, the anxiety had soon crept in. He’d wanted her to return to Fhirdiad immediately where he would be ensured of her safety, but Byleth had refused, wanting to wrap up her work and delegate her duties as she knew she would not be back at the monastery until well after their child was born. They compromised by agreeing to have a group of royal healers and midwives station themselves at Garreg Mach to oversee her pregnancy. Despite their regular correspondence, in which she assured him that she was well, he’d grown restless awaiting her arrival. He was certain he owed plenty of apologies for his behavior over the last few months.

A large smile engulfed his features as Byleth reached him and he embraced her, not as intimately as he would have liked as they were still out in the open. “Beloved, how I have missed you. I was beginning to worry that your delay meant the worse had happened.”

Although she returned his embrace, the scowl on her face as they separated indicated she was displeased with her husband. At the very least, Byleth kept her voice low so as not to be overheard by the onlookers. “Seriously, Dimitri? A carriage and twenty armed guards? Of course it took us longer to arrive, it was a nightmare just getting here.” She then shifted her attention to Dedue, her features lighter as she greeted him. “Always a pleasure to see your face, Dedue.” He simply nodded in response.

Perhaps Dimitri had gone overboard in sending as many guards as he had to escort Byleth back to Fhirdiad. But his paranoia wasn’t nearly as ludicrous as his wife seemed to believe. Due to the public-facing nature of her role, news of the royal pregnancy had traveled fast throughout the continent. His advisors had been the ones to recommend that he increase her security detail on this journey, knowing that rebels and imperial loyalists would be more tempted to try to plan an assassination attempt when the Archbishop was at her most vulnerable. 

Although feeling sheepish, Dimitri was firm as he replied. “You know the carriage was a precaution recommended by the healers, beloved. Riding on horseback the whole way to Fhirdiad would have simply been too risky.”

She opened her mouth as if to retort, but the exhaustion of her journey appeared to catch up to her as she instead sighed. “I know. It was just so _demeaning_. Being treated like I was some porcelain maiden. I’m _pregnant_ , not infirm.”

Her hands settled on her middle as she spoke, forming gentle circles on the swell of her belly. Dimitri resisted the urge to reach out and run his hands over his wife’s stomach, knowing it would be considered improper until they were in private. All the more reason to retire to the castle. He shifted to Byleth’s side, taking in hand in hers and giving Dedue a cursory wave as he began to pull her away from prying eyes. “We both know you could have defeated the whole command single-handedly without breaking a sweat.”

She narrowed her eyes as if the subject of her ire stood directly in front of her. “It took all of my self-control not to knock them out, steal a horse, and make my back on my own. As soon as this child is out of me, I plan to challenge each one of them to a duel.” He couldn’t help but pity the men, as he knew her stubbornness meant she was likely to remember that vow.

They made their way up to the royal chambers at a leisurely pace, Dimitri exercising all of his restraint to keep from sweeping his wife into his arms so that he could run them the whole way there. As soon as they were in the privacy of their quarters, Byleth made her way to their bed and promptly collapsed without bothering to first remove any of her many layers. 

By the time Dimitri joined her, she had moved up near the wall, her back leaning against the pillows. As he took his place beside her, he watched curiously as her hands came to rest on her stomach once again. Despite the months of correspondence and planning for the upcoming royal birth, it was all the more real now as he took her in. She caught his stare and smiled. “My apologies, my love. I forget that this is all new to you. Come, give me your hand.”

Byleth hitched up the fabric of her tunic so that she could place his palm directly on her belly. They soon settled into a comfortable position, Dimitri’s head laying on the bedspread near her midsection as he began to stroke her stomach, entranced by the softness yet firmness of the skin there. Byleth’s fingers found their way to his hair, playing with his locks absentmindedly as he let out a pleased hum. How he’d missed moments like these.

“How have you been feeling?” he asked. While she’d claimed in her correspondence that the negative effects of her pregnancy were minimal, his many conversations with the healers and midwives in the capital made him realize how unlikely it was that she was unaffected by her current condition. He knew her appeasements were most likely for his benefit. 

Byleth sighed. “At first I couldn’t go more than two days without getting sick, luckily that passed around a month ago. Now, I just find myself fatigued all the time which has been rather inconvenient. It’s not very professional for the Archbishop to fall asleep during council meetings. Although it’s a toss-up whether it’s preferable to have to keep a bucket in the room in case she loses the contents of her lunch halfway through. A good way to end a meeting early, I quickly discovered.”

Dimitri smirked at the image of his usually diligent wife napping at her desk or during a meeting. “I wish I could have been with you since the start. I was going out of my mind with worry.”

“It was just bad timing, Dima,” she reassured him, brushing his bangs out of his face so she could get a better look at his eyes. “I’m just relieved to finally be home. Just moving around has become challenging. Not to mention the constant fretting by everyone at the monastery. You know I love Flayn, but it became exhausting how she hovered around me, making sure I didn’t accidentally somehow leap to my death when she or Seteth weren’t looking.”

Her fingers moved from his hair to the side of his face, playing with the strings of his eye patch, which he’d forgotten to remove after entering their room. Recognizing the movement of her fingers as a nervous tick, he shifted his stare from her belly to her face, and noticed that she was also chewing on her bottom lip. Another sign something was bothering her. “What worries you, beloved?”

She took a moment before responding, her fingers continuing to stroke his face soothingly. “As we get closer to...I have been thinking quite a bit about my mother.” 

Her words surprised him. She barely spoke of her mother, knowing very little about the woman outside the little information that her father and, more recently, Rhea had told her. Although Dimitri didn’t remember his mother, he had spent his first few formative years in her presence. Byleth had truly never known her mother. She fidgeted as she continued. “Sitri died giving birth to me. I–I worry something similar might happen. And that I will leave you behind.”

Dimitri would be lying if he claimed that the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. Having lost all of his family before the age of thirteen, the idea of losing his wife so early in their marriage would be an insurmountable loss. But now was not the time for him to voice his own concerns, his own insecurities. Not only of what could go wrong in childbirth, but what would come afterward. Considering all the heinous acts he’d committed, he seriously doubted he’d make a capable father. So much of his life had been focused on carrying out his vengeance, with only the last two years spent on improving his fractured mind and forging a peace for Fódlan. 

No, making the current moment about him would be selfish, as Byleth was carrying the brunt of the risk. 

“I know, beloved. But we have the best healers here in the capital. You have been followed closely not only by the royal midwives but by those at the monastery. All precautions are being taken to ensure a healthy delivery.” Dimitri lifted himself to cradle her face in his hands, placing a gentle kiss to her temple. “And you know I would move the moon and stars to ensure neither of you leaves me behind.”

“I know,” she said with a smile; her face soon turned to a scowl as she pulled away from him with a wince. 

Dimitri stood upright, alert and ready to intervene. “What is it? Should I call a healer?”

Byleth shook her head with a slight laugh. “No, nothing is wrong. It just seems our little cub is feeling active. That was a powerful kick, you’re going to hurt your mother if you keep that up,“ she chided gently as she rubbed at her stomach.

His gaze fell back to her belly as he tried to imagine their child moving beneath the surface. “Can I…?” he began to ask, suddenly feeling bashful.

“Of course,” she replied, taking his hand to place it to where she was feeling the most movement. “But don’t be discouraged if you can’t feel anything. Flayn tried desperately for weeks before I had to leave but never managed to.” A couple of beats passed as they waited in silence. “Did you feel that?”

He tried to hide his disappointment as he shook his head, but it didn’t go unnoticed by his wife. “That’s alright, Dima. There will be plenty of opportunities to feel this little one move around, especially at night. The little prince or princess loves to keep me awake when they should be sleeping.”

Even if he couldn’t feel his child stirring just yet, it brought him great comfort to know that Byleth could. Pulling her body closer to his own, Dimitri nestled his chin against the top of her head. While she still smelled of the road and her lengthy travel, it was still intoxicating just to breathe in the same air as her once more. “You are absolutely amazing, beloved.”

“So I’ve been told,” she teased, curling into his side the best she could with her protruding belly. They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, just enjoying each other’s presence, until Byleth turned her head upwards to look at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You know...there are some pleasant effects of my current condition that I haven’t quite gotten to explore with you being so far away. Perhaps it’s time we remedy that.”

Dimitri was about to ask for the meaning behind her words, but the implication soon became evident when her hand settled on his chest, quickly trailing downwards to grip him through his trousers. He made no effort to stifle the groan that escaped him, to her obvious delight.

 _Goddess,_ how he’d missed his wife.

* * *

_It was a dream that he’d had many times before._

_The scent of death was heavy in the air around him. Blood and sweat coated his face, but he made no effort to wipe it away. Silence enveloped the throne room, empty except for a familiar figure at its end. Down on her knees, her head hung low, she appeared oblivious to the battle that continued to rage outside the walls of her hiding place._

_The path towards the front of the room felt excruciatingly long, much longer than it had been in reality. Part of him wanted to resist moving forward, knowing by now how it would end, but he felt a pressure pushing him onwards, forcing one foot in front of the other._

_As he loomed closer, she turned to look up at him. Behind her cold violet stare, he could see a confusing swirl of anger and defeat, but also still a conviction. Even now, in her last moments, obviously defeated, it could not be said that Edelgard von Hresvelg ever faltered._

_“El.” Dimitri reached out a hand, offering her one final chance at redemption which they both knew she would never take._

_Edelgard said nothing, her gaze straying downwards once more. As she reached for her dagger, Dimitri braced himself for the familiar sting of cool metal. As soon as her blade (once_ his _blade) made impact, he instinctively swung his lance forward so that it pierced her right in the gut._

_All of a sudden, he was no longer in that familiar dream. And it was no longer the older, battle-worn empress staring back at him. Rather, she was replaced with the tiny figure of the nine-year-old El from his childhood. Blood poured from her wound as she stared back at him, her gaze a mixture of shock and betrayal. Tears began to pool at the corner of her large, violet eyes._

_What had he done?_

  


Dimitri woke with a start, his breathing heavy. Even in total darkness, he could still see the child-aged Edelgard staring back at him, and the look on her face after he’d stabbed her. But from the chill in the air and the familiar smells surrounding him, he soon realized that he was no longer in that throne room, but in a safe place. 

Sitting up, he gripped his head, breathing out a sigh of relief. His right eye and shoulder throbbed slightly, as it usually did when he woke from a nightmare. Especially one that involved Edelgard; she hadn’t made an appearance in his dreams in quite a while. And never in _that_ form.

There was stirring from beside him, followed by a sleepy yawn. “Dima, is everything all right?”

He instantly felt guilty, remembering how difficult it had been for Byleth to fall asleep earlier that night. “Yes, beloved. Just a bad dream. I’m sorry to have woken you.”

Byleth was not so easily reassured. She turned onto her elbows so that she could look at him, her brows furrowed in concern and a slight frown on her face.

“It’s been so long since you’ve had a nightmare, my love. Did they start again while I was away? You didn’t tell me.” She reached a hand out to brush his hair, her fingers sliding against his forehead, now slick with sweat despite the chilly night air.

He didn’t say anything but laid a hand on the curve of her belly. Byleth covered his hand with hers, pressing his palm into the firm skin underneath. “I can see your mind running. Tell me what’s troubling you.”

“I–,” he began, pausing for a moment as he tried to collect his thoughts, “I have been feeling guilty.”

Her frown deepened. “For what, love?”

He sighed and leaned into her form, burying his face into her neck so that he could take in her familiar scent, so soothing and intoxicating. Byleth reached up to stroke his hair, waiting patiently for him to continue. “For bringing something so innocent into the world when I have taken so many lives with my own hands and caused so much pain.” His voice wavered slightly as he continued. “Is a beast such as myself even deserving of a happy ending? Of this family?”

At first, Byleth said nothing, continuing to stroke his hair, her fingers brushing gently against the bruised and battered skin surrounding his missing eye. He closed his good eye, basking in the gentle motions and the comforting warmth of her touch.

“You are no beast, Dima,” she whispered, placing a gentle kiss to the top of his head. “Perhaps, at one time, you were misguided. And I almost believed you lost forever, but you returned to us. To me. And since then, you have done all that you can to redeem the evils in your past. Never has a more compassionate, more just King reigned over Faerghus. And I know that you will shower this child with even more love than you have shown your people. That you’ve shown me. I have no doubt that this little prince or princess will grow up impossibly happy and as kind as their father, if not overly pampered.”

Dimitri maneuvered to look up at his wife, taking solace in the sincerity in her eyes and her smile. His arm slipped underneath her to bring her even closer to him as her words sunk in. 

His other hand pressed more firmly onto her belly as if trying to communicate with his unborn child. Before long, his heir would be entering the world. He needed to be there, to be present, to make sure his guilt and dark past did not consume him. For the sake of this child, but also for the sake of his wife and the entire kingdom. And any future children that they brought into the world together. 

“Thank you, beloved,” he murmured. “I would be absolutely lost without you.”

“Yes, you surely would,” she said with a laugh, letting go of his hand momentarily to reach down and draw the covers up to their shoulders, sealing in the warmth around them. Dimitri let out a contented sigh as her hand covered his once more. As he pressed a kiss against her bare shoulder, she let out a satisfied hum at the sign of affection. 

It was just as sleep began to overtake him that he felt it–a sudden pressure against his palm. Instantly, he was wide awake, having jolted noticeably at the sensation. 

His movements startled Byleth, who had also begun drifting off. “Dima, what is it?”

Instead of responding, he returned his hand to her stomach, pressing into the skin. A beat passed before he felt another burst of movement, his breath hitching in response. Comprehension appeared on Byleth’s face as she smiled. “Did you feel that?” 

He simply nodded, his throat suddenly feeling constricted. Another kick, and he felt tears prickling at the corner of his eyes. Byleth covered her hand with his, her fingers brushing gently over his knuckles. “I think someone realized their father needed some reassurance. Is that it, little one?”

Dimitri closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he steadied himself at the onset of emotions that were threatening to overwhelm him. When he opened his gaze, he leaned down to place a reverent kiss upon his wife’s lips. She laughed as the action seemed to prompt a series of kicks, each one stronger than the last. “This child may not be born yet, but there is no doubt in my mind that they have inherited the Blaiddyd strength. May the goddess have mercy on the castle furniture.”

He smiled as he nestled once more against her side, his hand resting on her stomach as he soon became entranced by each movement that he felt beneath the surface of her skin until they finally began to subside. While Byleth’s breaths soon became more labored, signaling that she’d once again drifted off, Dimitri lay awake for much longer, clutching tightly to her sleeping figure.

Memories of El and the war would forever haunt him, of that he had no doubt. His ghosts, while not as loud as they had once been, would always hover at arm’s length. And he would always worry about his competences as a King, husband, and now a father. But all of this he could and would overcome, as long as he had his family by his side, believing in him and pushing him to be a better man. 

* * *

Art commissioned by [Ouroridae](https://twitter.com/Ouroridae)

**Author's Note:**

> With the state of the world, I really needed to write some tooth-rotting Dimileth fluff. Happy Father's Day!
> 
> If you want to find me online, I'm @MarieBoheme on Twitter


End file.
